SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the New Year in Judaism, is being recognized by the diverse Jewish community in Los Angeles, both orthodox and progressive.

This year, one adherent says although recent anti-Semitic activities have been increasing in Southern California, he is choosing to be optimistic.

Michael Chusid is a scholar of the shofar, a sheep’s horn that is sounded during sacred Jewish occasions. He says he found peace as he grew close to his community of faith.

“I moved to Los Angeles in 1992 at a time when I was in a personal crisis and I found in this community such teachers of wisdom and love and it brought be deeper and deeper into the faith,” Chusid said.

As Jewish observers gather at a synagogue in Santa Monica for the holiday, the congregation is well aware of the recent anti-Semitic activities that have targeted the community.

“I assure you a lot of prayers today are for the healing of the things that divide our nation, our communities, our home, the world,” Chusid said.

He believes each community of faith represented in the United States, brings something special to the fabric of the nation.

“We aren’t the chosen people in the sense that God chose us to be exalted, no, we were chosen to follow a certain path in the same way that Christians or Muslims or Buddhists or Native Americans were chosen to follow their particular path,” said Chusid.

While hate crimes targeting Jewish people went up in 2018, Chusid says nobody knows when it’s their time, so he is choosing to reject fear.

“None of us know that, and so we pray to live our life today as best as we can,” said Chusid.

As a scholar of the shofar and one wholly dedicated to his faith, he believes hope is the essence of Rosh Hashanah.

“We’re commanded to be hopeful, we’re commanded as a people to act with righteousness, and to help bring about the era of peace and harmony, of alignment,” said Chusid.

And that is his prayer for the New Year: peace, harmony, and alignment.